


Teething Problems

by DemyxBlack



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-03
Updated: 2016-03-13
Packaged: 2018-05-26 11:07:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6236242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DemyxBlack/pseuds/DemyxBlack
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Remus is trying to adjust to life at a new boarding school but his new roommate is an arsehole.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Teething Problems

Remus tried to keep his mouth shut as he was led around the building but it wasn't easy. With every arching column and grand staircase that they passed, he found his jaw dropping.

  
Hogwarts was the furthest from home that he had ever been and if the biting Scottish cold wasn't enough to remind him of that, then the ever-present decadence was.

  
The second-hand uniform that his mum had put together fit terribly: the shirt and jumper were too large on his skinny frame whilst the trousers were alarmingly tight and ended just above his ankles. Every step felt dangerous as the seams worked as hard as possible to stay together.

  
“And this is the cafeteria where all meals are served.” Professor McGonnagall said indicating the large hall that stood before them.

  
The professor had met him when he had arrived at the gates earlier that morning. She had quickly taken his bags and handed them to a valet (this school had valets!) before introducing herself and promptly beginning the welcome speech and tour that he could imagine that she had given hundreds of times. He felt vastly unprepared for this school. Looking it up online had been intimidating enough but that was nothing compared to what faced him in reality.

  
“As I’m sure you know, we have one class per year group – we’re just going to drop in on yours before I lead you to your room.”

  
Remus nodded vaguely. One class per year. His last school had been half the size of this place and had had five times as many students. The professor knocked sharply on the door of a room before walking in, leaving Remus to shuffle in behind her. He had hoped that they would stay in the doorway but she walked purposefully to the front of the room and as he followed her he felt the eyes of everyone sat at their desks follow him.

  
Remus tried to keep his eyes on the floor but he dared a few glances up at the rest of the class. They all looked like something out of a magazine or a movie – now more than ever he felt self-conscious about his clothing. His trousers suddenly felt even smaller and he tried to position his arm to hide hole in the elbow of his jumper.

  
“Lovely to meet you Mr Lupin, my name is Professor Flitwick – I’ll be your English Literature teacher.” The small friendly man jumped down from his seat behind his desk and held out his hand which Remus fumbled to shake. He was suddenly painfully aware of how quiet the room was. “We’re quite traditional here: as a new student it would be wonderful if you could just write your name on the board and tell the class a little bit about yourself.” He nodded towards the students in front of him and handed Remus a piece of chalk.

  
“Sure.” Remus took the chalk and walked over to the blackboard. “My name’s Remus Lupin,” he spoke (had his voice always been that high-pitched?), facing the board and writing out his name. He heard a snicker from somewhere behind him but ignored it. “I’m from London.”

  
He had just started writing his surname on the board when the piece of chalk slipped from his fingers and fell to the ground. He lunged to grab it and RIP.

  
_No. Oh God, no._

  
Suddenly his trousers were no longer unbearably tight. Part of him hoped that they hadn’t ripped – surely if they had he would already be hearing raucous laughter and most likely would have died of embarrassment. He abandoned writing his name and turned to face the class.

  
“Now that’s an introduction. Sorry, was it ‘Remus’ or ‘Moony’?” The voice came from a boy sat in the back. He was lounging in his chair and had a playful smirk on his face.

  
That’s when the laughter started. It only lasted a second as Professor McGonnagall cleared her throat and the class were silenced.

  
“You will come to my office after lessons today, Black.” Her voice was like ice and every head in front of them dropped back to their work. Every head, that is, except the boy – Black – who was still smiling smugly in Remus’ direction. Remus wanted to lash out or cry, he wasn’t entirely sure which one but above all his overriding impulse was to escape: escape from this room, this school, go back home.

  
Fortunately, Professor McGonnagall gave a curt goodbye to Professor Flitwick before exiting the room the way she had come, with Remus in tow.

  
The professor seemed happy enough to ignore what had just happened and continued with the tour of the building. Remus tried his best to focus on what she was saying lest his mind drift back to what had just happened – or the fact that he was currently walking around with his ass hanging out.

  
“This is lost property, anything that you may misplace during your time here will inevitably end up in this room. It’s usually manned by our caretaker, Mr Filch, but as he’s not here perhaps you’d like to look around for some trousers.” For the first time since she had picked him up at the front gates, she smiled at him. It was a kind, motherly smile and Remus began to feel slightly better.

  
There really was everything here – from full uniforms to books to laptops. It was crazy but Remus supposed that when you were as rich as you’d have to be to attend this school, you could probably afford to lose a Macbook here or there. He found some trousers in his size and then when the hour long tour of the building was done, the Professor dropped him off at his room.

  
Remus had known in advance that he would be in a shared room but he hadn’t expected what he saw. After the tour of the castle, sorry ‘school building’, he didn’t know what he expected of the room but he had no right to be so surprised about the vastness of it.

  
It was practically the size of the ground floor of his home. The room was completely symmetrical with the two four-poster beds facing each other from opposite walls, and on both sides of the room were wardrobes, desks, bookshelves and mirrors. There was a huge window that overlooked the school grounds and as Remus sat down on the window ledge, for the first time that day he felt free of anxiety looking over the countryside.

  
“You stayed, then?” a cheerful voice asked behind him.

  
Remus’ head whipped around at lightning speed. There was a boy with crooked glasses and a smile that couldn’t be anything but genuine stood in a doorway that he hadn’t noticed when he first walked in.

  
“I thought after that incident in class you might have run off. Props to you, though. You’re brave – that will serve you well rooming with Sirius.”

  
Remus realised that he was gaping and tried to find his voice.

  
“Serious?”

  
“I always am.” The boy’s grin grew even wider and Remus felt like he was being made fun of. “Sorry, you’ll understand that when you meet him although word to the wise, don’t make any ‘serious’ gags around him.”

  
Remus nodded although he had no idea what the other boy was talking about.

  
The boy walked into the room and jumped onto the unkempt bed of the two. “My name’s James, by the way. We share a bathroom,” he indicated the door through which he had entered.

  
Remus moved and perched himself on the end of what he assumed was his own bed.

  
“Hi, I’m Remus. You know my roommate?”

  
“He was actually my roommate until McGonnagall decided that the school couldn’t afford the frequent repair costs – now I’m with Peter next door.”

  
Remus’ eyes widened, “repair costs?”

  
“Ridiculous, really. They ought to have given us extra credit in Chemistry not a punishment but what are you going to do?” he shrugged.

  
James didn’t get to see the questioning look that Remus threw in his direction as at that moment, the door to the room opened.

  
“Moony!”

  
_No. No no no._ His new roommate was the boy – Black – from class.

  
“James, is it just me or does he look rather like he’s about to be violently sick?”


End file.
